What Is Analog Horror?

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Despite facing numerous challenges such as rising costs, lingering fear from the pandemic, and shifting audience preferences, cinemas have seen a consistent draw: horror films. In 2024 alone, over 50 horror movies were screened, accumulating a total box office revenue of $869 million. Given that the overall domestic box office earnings amounted to $8.7 billion, this indicates that horror films accounted for approximately 10% of the North American box office income.

It’s not unexpected that the widespread appeal of horror has led to many different categories within it. For example, there are films like “Alien” that blend sci-fi with horror, movies such as “The Exorcist” and “Smile” featuring supernatural entities, slasher flicks like “Halloween” and “Longlegs,” and even combinations of all these, like “Terrifier.” And within this diversity lies a subgenre called analog horror, which emerges in the creative filmmaking world that is often marked by imitations and repetitions. In an era filled with sequels, spin-offs, and rehashes, independent filmmaking remains one of the few genuine creative outlets.

Exploring the realm of analog horror is like stepping into a chilling unknown within the cutting-edge digital filmmaking landscape, as it delivers its terrifying scenes straight to your computer monitor. Even seasoned horror enthusiasts who have watched every classic horror movie might find themselves uninformed about this genre. If you’re intrigued and want to discover more about analog horror and its essential short films, continue reading at your own risk.

Analog horror is a subgenre of horror film

Analog horror films fall under the category of “found footage” movies, which first gained widespread popularity in 1999 with “The Blair Witch Project.” Despite “Deep Throat,” an X-rated movie being the most profitable film in terms of its budget, “found footage” horror movies are known for providing a substantial return on investment. For instance, apart from “The Blair Witch Project,” there’s “Paranormal Activity” that made over $194 million worldwide on just a $450,000 budget.

As a gamer, I can’t help but be drawn to the chilling allure of games that feel incredibly authentic. There’s something deeply unsettling about experiencing content that seems like it was recorded at home. This extra layer of realism only intensifies the sense of being a secret onlooker, a characteristic that’s inherent in any form of cinematography. Analog-style horror games take this to another level, employing ‘found footage’ methods but crafted to mimic pre-digital tech like grainy VHS tapes or old FM radio broadcasts.

It’s been suggested that the genre known as analog horror may have evolved from internet-born urban legends like “creepypasta.” The element that makes them unsettling is the question of authenticity – “could this actually be true?” This mystery contributes to their eerie atmosphere. Despite the success of “found footage” films in cinemas, creators of analog horror seem satisfied with causing chills and fears online. If they aim to scare people, they’re definitely succeeding.

Characteristics of analog horror

In other words, horror movies typically involve watching frightening events unfold for someone else. “Found footage” films intensify this feeling by employing documentary-style techniques to make it seem like you’re secretly observing these terrifying incidents. The unique aspect of analog horror is that it pushes the horror genre to its logical extreme, as the viewer becomes the one experiencing the horrifying events directly.

As a gamer, I find myself often drawn to analog horror videos, which typically last no more than ten minutes. These spine-tingling creations use existing footage and sounds, often sourced from royalty-free or stock resources, to immerse me into the experience, making it feel like I’m peeking into secrets I wasn’t meant to uncover. In essence, analog horror can be seen as a modern-day successor to Orson Welles’ groundbreaking 1938 “War of the Worlds” radio broadcast, but updated for the digital era and grounded in technology from the ’60s to ’90s.

Apart from the fundamental traits mentioned earlier, analog horror often shares additional characteristics. For instance, these short films begin with ordinary scenes that gradually transform into intense fear-inducing situations. Unlike conventional horror, they usually don’t contain underlying messages or meanings, and they scarcely use common horror elements such as gore or jump scares. The endings are typically open-ended without resolution. Analog horror can be considered a unique, avant-garde form of filmmaking due to its minimal character development, lack of a clear plot, and the sole purpose of visuals being to terrify you as much as possible. Essentially, what defines analog horror is largely determined by the director’s creativity, and in many respects, your own interpretation.

Examples of analog horror

In terms of its digital origin, the count of analog horror films is virtually endless – much like trying to figure out how many tutorials there are online for grilling a ribeye steak. However, notable achievements in this young genre’s history are limited. One of the earliest examples can be traced back to 2009 when Steven Chamberlain debuted and starred in the “No Through Road” series on YouTube. This groundbreaking production, which falls under one of the first instances of analog horror, presents itself as recovered footage from M16 British Intelligence, detailing the enigmatic deaths of four teenagers.

In 2015, the popularity of analog horror flourished with Kris Straub’s production “Local 58,” which earned its place as a genre leader with the tagline: “Analog horror at 476 MHz.” This series sparked other key elements of analog horror like Alex Kister’s “The Mandela Catalogue” and Martín Paredes’ “The Walten Files.” Although most analog horror can be found on YouTube, it also gained traction in various media formats, such as the 2016 podcast “Archive 81,” produced by Dan Powell and Marc Sollinger.

Indeed, “Archive 81” transformed into a Netflix Original series in 2020, shifting the niche genre of analog horror into broader popularity, although it ended after just one season. Whether larger production companies will venture into the realm of analog horror remains to be seen, but for now, it’s primarily accessible online – and potentially haunting our dreams as a result.

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2025-02-06 22:30